Rebecca and the Chamber of Secrets
by RogueMetamorph
Summary: It's the gang's second year at Hogwarts. The adventure continues as Harry, Ron, Hermione and Rebecca meet an outrageously stuck-up professor, a strangely violent house elf, and a spirit who haunts the girls' bathroom and delve into… the Chamber of Secrets. Eventual Harry/OC.
1. First Impressions

**Author's Note: I do not own Harry Potter 1-7. It is owned by JK Rowling. I only own Rebecca... maybe.**

* * *

><p>Name: Rebecca Adhara Sherwood<p>

Parents: Gregory and Ambrosia Sherwood

Gifts: Witch and a Metamorphmagus

Blood-Status: Pure Blood

Status: Well off (Rich)

True Features: Unknown

Current Features:

Hair: Straight Bleach Bottle Blonde

Eyes: Golden

Age: 12

School: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

House: Gryffindor

Patronus: Unknown

Friends: Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger

Family friends; Draco Malfoy (unfortunately), Cedric Diggory

Letters sent: TONS, and angry that Harry hasn't written back

* * *

><p>My parents and I were about to walk into Flourish and Blotts to pick up my new schoolbooks for this year at Hogwarts which I spied a certain dark haired boy with round glasses walking alongside a tall bushy man. I spun and smiled brightly at them as they waved at me, coming closer. But then my father knocked into me.<p>

"Rebecca!" my father hissed, making me shrink away from him as he raised his hand as if to smack me. Luckily, my mother reached up and grabbed my father's hand as if he had been asking for her to. She kissed it gently and smiled a fake smile at him.

"Don't Gregory," she whispered.

"Rebecca!" Harry called to me. I turned as he ran right up to me, though for a few seconds, he eyed my father before smiling at me again.

"Harry! Hagrid!" I exclaimed happily, quickly hugging Harry even though he was dirty.

"Hello, Rebecca," Hagrid smiled down at me, though he immediately turned back to my parents, watching them.

"Oh, it's so good to see you!" I smiled.

"Well, it's great to see you, too!"

"What did you do to your glasses?" I asked, noticing one of the lenses was cracked. I sighed and pulled out my wand. "_Oculus Reparo_," The crack began to disappear until there was a little puff, leaving the glasses fixed.

"I definitely need to remember that one," he said, pulling his glasses off to look at the lens.

"You'll be all right now then, Harry?" Harry nodded happily before Hagrid turned to me. "You too?" he asked. I kept the smile on my face and nodded. "Right. I'll leave you to it, then," And with that, Hagrid was off, leaving Harry and I alone with my parents.

"Hello, Mr. Potter. We meet at last. Since my gracious daughter has failed to introduce us, I must introduce myself," my father said, pushing past me to shake hands with Harry. "I am Gregory Sherwood, Rebecca's father,"

"Pleasure," Harry said stiffly.

"Harry, this is my mother, Ambrosia Sherwood," I told Harry quietly, afraid of my father's anger for introducing Mum but not him. My mother however, smiled brightly down at Harry and shook his hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Harry Potter. I have to admit, I have heard loads about you, mostly from Rebecca," my mother said kindly, though the whole thing made me blush. Harry smiled up at her and then looked over at my father, and I found father glaring down at me.

Yep, going to get yelled at later.

"Yes, after all, he is the Boy Who Lived," my father nearly growled, making me wish that I had come here with just my mother. "And after letting Rebecca become one of his little minions and getting her into trouble, I assume she would have a lot to tell,"

"Gregory," my mother hissed at my father as I dropped my eyes to study my shoes. "Are you going into Flourish and Blotts, Harry? We're taking Rebecca to get her new books. Gilderoy Lockheart is in there too, signing autographs," my mother said, ending with a scrunched up nose. Like her, I also disliked Lockheart and his fake personality and shinning white smile.

"Yeah. I was actually looking for Ron," Harry answered.

"Well let's go then," I said, trying to smile as I linked my arm with Harry's and pulled him into the book shop, leaving my parents to follow.

We were instantly met as the door by Hermione who practically squeaked with pleasure at seeming the both of us, hugging us both tightly. She had grown a bit, and her hair wasn't as frizzy as what I had remembered, though some of it was pulled back and away from her face.

"Come on, everyone's been so worried," Hermione said, grabbing Harry and pulling him through the shop.

"What's you do this time, Harry?" I asked with a smile, though he just shook his head and followed Hermione until we all reached Mrs. Weasley.

"Oh, Harry! Thank goodness!" Mrs. Weasley sighed, brushing Harry off as I spied Ron. "We'd hoped you'd only gone one grate too far-"

"Hey Ron," I smiled hugging him, though he didn't return it. I pulled back to see him giving me a fake smile. "To old for hugs already?"

"Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Gilderoy Lockheart," I heard a man announce as everyone began to clap.

"Ah! Here he is!" Mrs. Weasley sighed.

Out from the back room came Gilderoy Lockheart, dress fancy, hair perfect and smiling like an idiot as he winked at a few of the girls in the crowd.

"Mum fancies him," Ron murmured to Harry and I, making Mrs. Weasley smack him on the shoulder before she continued clapping.

"Make way there. Please! Let me by, madam. Thank you. Excuse me, little girl," a photographer shouted, knocking me into Harry, and making me hiss at him as I righted myself. "This is for the Daily Prophet,"

A light flashed as Lockheart posed for the camera, his smile even more fake than usual. After a moment, Lockheart stopped twirling about to stop and stare at Harry.

"It can't be- Harry Potter?"

"Harry Potter!" the photographer exclaimed, grabbing him by the front of the shirt and pulling him through the crowd. "Excuse me, madam,"

"Nice big smile, Harry. Together you and I rate the front page!" Flash. I kinda felt sick… could one man do that? "Ladies and gentlemen, what an extraordinary moment this is. When young Harry stepped into Flourish and Blotts this morning to purchase my autobiography, Magical Me…"

Everyone clapped loudly around me, Ron seemed to have the same look on his face as me, so I leaned over to him and whispered, "Do you want to hurl as much as I do?"

"Which, incidentally is currently celebrating its 27th week atop the Daily Prophet bestseller list…" More clapping. "He had no idea that he would, in fact, be leaving…" Lockheart turned as a man hand him a stack of books I assumed to be all of Lockheart's. Lockheart then shoved them into Harry's arm and then smiled up at us. "… with my entire collected works, free of charge," Everyone clapped and then their was more smiling and pictures, making me want to roll my eyes until they fell out of my head.

Harry came back over to us and Mrs. Weasley began fussing over him again. "Harry, now you give me those, and I'll get them signed. All of you wait outside. That's it, Ron,"

We all quickly made our way back through the crowd when I saw Draco Malfoy, white hair, black cloak, angry expression and all, running down the stairs to intercept us.

"I'll bet you loved that, didn't you, Potter? Famous Harry Potter! Can't even go into a bookshop without making the front page," Draco sneered.

"Leave him alone," came a small voice.

I looked down at the little redheaded girl I knew to be Ron's little sister Ginny. I admired her for her bravery, but knew it would do no good.

"Oh look, Potter. You've got yourself a girlfriend," Draco smiled.

Suddenly, a silver snake head slammed down on Draco's shoulder, making us all look behind him at the man we could all only assume to be Draco's father since they looked so much alike.

"Now, Draco, play nicely. Mr. Potter… Lucius Malfoy. We meet at last," Mr. Malfoy greeted shaking hands with Harry before yanking him toward him, and using the snake head on the top of his cane to move the hair off of Harry's forehead. "Forgive me, your scar is legend… as, of course, is the wizard who gave it to you," Mr. Malfoy smiled.

"Voldemort killed my parents," Harry growled simply, causing Mr. Malfoy to let go of him. "He was nothing more than a murderer,"

"Hmm. You must be very brave, to mention his name. Or very foolish,"

"Fear of a name only increase fear of the thing itself," Came Hermione's voice from next to me. Mr. Malfoy turned with a look of amusement on his face as he looked down at her.

"And you must be… Miss Granger?" Draco nodded. "Yes, Draco's told me all about you, and your parents. Muggles, aren't they?" Mr. Malfoy smiled fakily before his eyes fell on me. "Aw and little Rebecca. How far have you strayed to be conversing with Muggle-borns? You used to be such friends with my Draco,"

My and Draco's faces practically mirrored each other as we both looked at each other with disgust.

"Children grow up, I guess," I smiled up at Mr. Malfoy. "And I have found… much more stimulating company,"

Mr. Malfoy glared at me for a second before moving on to Ron. "Let me see… red hair… vacant expressions…" Mr. Malfoy then grabbed a book out of Ginny's cauldron and looked it over with a slightly scrunched nose. "Tatty second hand book. You must be the Weasleys,"

"Children," I looked up at Mr. Weasley as he smiled down at us, looking a little uncomfortable though. "It's mad in here! Let's go outside,"

"Well, well, well. Weasley senior," Mr. Malfoy greeted.

"Lucius,"

"Busy time at the Ministry, Arthur, all those extra raids? I do hope they're paying you overtime, but judging by the state of this, I'd say not. What's the use in being a disgrace to the name of wizard if they don't even pay you well for it," I glared up at him though he didn't see it.

"We have a very different idea about what disgraces the name of wizard, Malfoy," Mr. Weasley bit back.

"Clearly. Associating with Muggles… and I thought your family could sink no lower," Mr. Malfoy smiled.

"Lucius," I knew it was my father before he came into view. My father smiled… I think, and greeted Mr. Malfoy. "It's good to see you. We should talk. Rebecca, stay with you mother," my father bit out before he and Mr. Malfoy walked over to the corner to talk. I watched them for a moment before I watched Mr. Malfoy hand my father a black leather bond book, which my father slipped into his cloak pocket.

"See you at school," I heard Draco say, but I really wasn't paying attention.

What was that book for?

* * *

><p>The next day, I met Hermione and Neville on the train to Hogwarts ready and waiting to get there. My mother wished me luck while my father stood off, looking aloof. I sighed and gave my mother one last hug before I boarded the train and sat in one of the compartments.<p>

It was when the train began rolling that I got worried. Harry and Ron weren't there, and Ginny, who walked in as the train began to move, had said that they were supposed have gone through the barrier after her.

"Of course the barrier would close up on them," I growled to myself and Hermione just sighed and smiled at me.

"Don't worry. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley wouldn't let them miss school, they'll be there," Hermione said sitting back to talk with Neville and Ginny.

Unfortunately, by the time that we were all going to be in our dormitories, Harry and Ron hadn't shown up. Hermione even looked worried, as she settled into bed and went to sleep.

The next day however, I woke up and got dressed in my uniform to find Harry and Ron already, and down in the common room waiting for us. I ran at them and practically tackled them as Hermione hugged them beside me. But they were in for it as soon as Hermione and I let go of them, yelling at tem angrily, and then lecturing them once they had explained what had happened.

It could only happen to them, honestly.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Y'all need to reveiw!<strong>


	2. Lockheart

"Morning, everyone! Good morning, everyone!" Professor yelled, getting everyone's attention.

"Good morning, Professor Sprout!" Everyone said in unison.

"Welcome to Greenhouse Three, Second Years. Now, gather around, everyone. Today, we are going to repot Mandrakes. Who here can tell me the properties of the Mandrake root?" Of course, Hermione was the only one how raised her hand. "Yes, Miss Granger,"

Hermione smiled beside me. "Mandrake, or Mandragora, is used to return those who have been petrified to their original state. It's also quite dangerous. The Mandrake's cry is fatal to anyone who hears it,"

"Excellent! Ten points to Gryffindor!" All the Gryffindors smiled and congratulated her silent while a gave her a mini high five. "Now, as our Mandrakes are still only seedlings their cries won't kill you yet. But they could knock you out for several hours, which is why I have given each of you a pair of earmuffs for auditory protection. So, could you please put them on, right away? Quickly!" I quickly grabbed mine and pressed the flaps down around my ears like my head phones and waited. "Flaps tight down, and watch me closely," I heard Professor Sprout say, though it was very muffled. "You grasp your Mandrake firmly, you pull it sharply up out of the pot…"

An annoying cry rang out as she pulled the baby Mandrake out of the pot, holding it up for everyone to see. I pressed my hands to my earmuffs trying desperately to bloke out the annoying sound.

"Got it? And now you dunk it down into the other pot and pour a little sprinkling of soil to keep him warm," she instructed. Across the table, I saw someone fall and looked over to see that Neville was gone. "Uh, Longbottom's been neglecting his earmuffs,"

"No, ma'am, he's just fainted," Seamus as he looked down at Neville.

"Yes, well, just leave him there. Right! On we go! Plenty of pots to go around. Grasp your Mandrake, and pull it up!"

I grabbed mine and yanked hard until a baby Mandrake sprang out of the pot. It shrieked and cried, but up close it was actually kind of cute. I tickled it's belly making it squirm a little. I looked around the room and smiled when I saw Draco's had his finger stuck in his mandrake's mouth, trying to yank it out.

"Serves him right,"

* * *

><p>"Say it, I'm doomed," Ron sighed after he had tried to tape his broken wand back together, making me roll my eyes at him.<p>

He'd need to get a new one soon or he'd end up hurting himself.

"You're doomed," Harry agreed.

"Hi, Harry!"

A bright flash nearly blinded me… and it came from behind me. I looked over my shoulder at a small first year holding a camera that looked to big for him.

"I'm Colin Creevy! I'm in Gryffindor, too!"

"Oh- Hi, Colin. Nice to meet you," Harry greeted politely.

"Ron? Is that your owl?"

I looked up to see a grey molting feather duster with a red letter in it's beak swooping down at us before crashing into a bowl of chips, landing on it's back. "Bloody bird's a menace," Ron sighed, taking the letter out of it's beak carefully. I smiled and petted the bird on it's stomach before it jumped up and flew away. "Oh, no!"

"Look, everyone! Weasley's got himself a Howler!" Seamus laughed, pointing at the letter in Ron's hand. And indeed it was. I had certainly got a share in my short life time away from home, all from my dad of course.

"Go on, Ron. I ignored one from my Gran once. It was horrible," Neville shivered.

Ron carefully lifted the seal and immediately the letter jumped out of it's hands and turned into a pare of lips roaring angrily at him.

"_**RONALD WEASLEY! HOW DARE YOU STEAL THAT CAR! I AM ABSOLUTLEY DISGUSTED! YOUR FATHER'S NOW FACING AN INQUIRY AT WORK, AND IT'S ENTIRELY YOUR FAULT! IF YOU PUT ANOTHER TOE OUT OF LINE, WE'LL BRING YOU STRAIGHT HOME!**_" The four of us looked at the letter in horror before it sighed and turned to Ginny who sat down the table from us. "_Oh, and Ginny, dear, congratulations on making Gryffindor. Your father and I are so proud_,"

The letter then turned back to run and stuck it's tongue out before ripping itself to pieces.

* * *

><p>"Let me introduce you to your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher… Me!" Lockheart smiled, making me gag. "Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin, Third Class, Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defense League, and five-times winner of Witch Weekly's Most-Charming-Smile Award-" He smiled wider, winking at the portrait of himself. "But I don't want to talk about that," Funny, sounded like he did. "I didn't get rid of the Bandon Banshee by smiling at him. Huh, huh, huh, hee, hee," He laughed, sounding more like he was being strangled. "Now- be warned!" he said, pulling out his wand and looking serious. "It is my job to arm you against the foulest creatures known to wizardkind. You may find yourselves facing your worst fears in this room. Know only that no harm can befall you whilst I am here. I must ask you not to scream," Lockheart said, tapping the covered cage next to him, making it juggle and move. "It might… provoke them!"<p>

He ripped the curtain off the cage dramatically to reveal little blue creatures reaching out of the cage like jailed prisoners, rocking the cage angrily.

"Cornish pixies?" I laughed.

"Freshly caught Cornish pixies!" Lockheart corrected, making most of the people in the room laugh.

"Laugh if you will, Mr. Finnigan, but pixies can be devilish tricky little blighters. Let's see what you make of them, ha!" With that, he pulling the latch on the cage, releasing pixies from the cage. Everyone screamed as they attacked us, wreaking havoc in the room. "Come on now- round them up, round them up, they're only pixies!"

Five came at me at once, two grabbing at my hair and yanking while the other three stating smacking me with my own books. I yanked out my wand and aimed. "_Stupefy!_" I yelled knocking one across the room.

One of the ones in my hair squeaked in fear and flew off and the two with the books dropped them and raced away, but the one left in my hair kept yanking.

"Hey get me down!" I hear Neville yell near me, but I was a little busy.

"Get off me!" I yelled, waving my arms around since I couldn't see the stupid little thing.

"Stop! Stop! Hold still!" I heard Harry yell next to me. I stopped and I felt the pixie go flying out of my hair.

"Thanks," I smiled.

"_Peskipiksi pesternomi!_" I looked up at Lockheart to see his wand get yanked out of his hand and him run up the stair to his office. "I'll ask you four to just nip the rest of them back into their cage!"

He then turned tail and slammed the door to his office.

"Yeeee-haw!" I heard a pixie squeak and I looked up to see the skeleton hanging up near the ceiling fall to the floor.

"What do we do now?" Ron cried.

I growled and flicked my wand. "_Immobulus!_"

A flash shot from my wand and all the pixies in the room froze, floating aimlessly as their eyes flashed around, a few of them glaring at me. Neville was strung up in the center of the room, hanging by his robes, giving me déjà vu of first year.

"Why is it always me?" he sighed.


	3. Mudblood

I sat next to Ron and Hermione on a bench in one of the many courtyards, listening them argue about the uses of studying and whatnot. I on the other hand was reading one of my new muggle written books, Graceling while listening to music I had playing in one of my ears. But when I saw a flock of red and I flock of green meet however, I looked up to see the Gryffindor and Slytherin Quidditch team growling at each other.

"I booked the pitch for Gryffindor today,"

"Easy, Wood. I've got a note,"

"Uh-oh. I smell trouble," Ron murmured as he got up, Hermione and I following.

"'I, Professor Severus Snape, do hereby give the Slytherin team permission to practice today, owing to the need to train their new Seeker,'," Oliver read from a note before looking up at the Slytherin captain. "You've got a new Seeker. Who?" The Slytherin players moved out of the way as none other than Draco Malfoy stepped out from their depths, smirking at Harry.

"Malfoy?"

"That's right, Potter. And that's not all that new this year," Draco smiled, showing off his new broom which matched the rest of the teams.

"Those are Nimbus Two Thousand and Ones!" Ron exclaimed, looking down at the brooms. "How did you get those?"

"A gift from Draco's father," the Slytherin captain smiled.

They were actually kind of cool looking, except the ends, which looking like someone had dunked the very ends in bleach.

"You see, Weasley, unlike some, my father can afford the best," Draco sneer making my blood boil as I stepped up to him.

"Shut up, Draco, or do I have to tell everyone what happened that time when we were eight during summer?" I smiled, seeing a flicker of fear behind Draco's smooth composure. "At least no one on the Gryffindor team had to buy their way in. They got it on pure talent," I growled. "We both know if I had my father buy Gryffindor all new broomsticks who'd end up being the better team,"

"Like your father would do that," Draco hissed. "We both know your father hates you more than anything,"

I winced, and he smiled, knowing he'd won this round.

"Shut up, Malfoy, your just a big bully," Hermione exclaimed, linking her arm with mine.

"No one asked your opinion, you filthy little Mudblood!"

I gasped as I stared at him in surprise, and then looked over at Hermione as I saw tears start to form in her eyes.

"You'll pay for that one, Malfoy. Eat slugs!" Ron exclaimed, but as he said it, the… spell… rebounded on him, sending him flying back.

"Ron!" I squeaked, running toward him as he slowly tried to get up.

"You okay, Ron? … Say something!" Hermione exclaimed as everyone crowded around us.

Ron grew pale and sickly looking as I watched him before he made as if he was going to hurl, but as he did, instead of puke, a slug dropped out of his mouth. Everyone looked away and moaned while my stomach flipped in disgust.

"Wow! Can you turn him around, Harry?" I looked up to see Colin as his camera flashed.

"No, Colin! Get out of the way!" Harry said, lifting Ron up. "Let's take him to Hagrid's," Out came another slug. "He'll know what to do,"

Quickly I followed after Harry, Ron and Hermione, making sure I stomped my foot into Draco's as I pasted. We ran all the way down to Hagrid's, not really needing to explain once Ron had thrown up a slug on Hagrid's doorstep.

"This calls for a specialist's equipment," Hagrid said, bring over a bucket and plopping it down in front of Ron. "Nothin' to do but wait'll it stops, I'm afraid," Another slug. "Better out than in," Hagrid sighed. "Who's Ron tryin' to curse, anyway?"

"Malfoy," Hagrid didn't seem to need anymore information. Being Malfoy was enough of an explanation. "He called Hermione… um, well, I don't- I don't know exactly what it means," Harry said, glancing over at Hermione who looked like she still wanted to cry. She stood up and moved off and away from us, crossing her arm as I saw her shoulders shake.

"He called me a Mudblood,"

"He did not!" Hagrid exclaimed.

"What's a Mudblood?" Harry asked, making me look over at him in surprise.

"It means 'dirty blood,'," Hermione said, whipping around to look/glare at us all. "Mudblood's a really foul name for someone who is Muggle-born. Someone with non-magic parents. Someone like me," she said sitting back down beside me. "It's not a term one usually hears in civilized conversation,"

"See, Harry, there're some wizards, like the Malfoy family, who think they're better'n everyone else because they're what people call 'pure blood,'," Hagrid explained.

"That's horrible!" Harry exclaimed.

Another slug. "It's disgusting,"

"And it's codswallop, to boot,"

I personally felt bad for it all, and felt embarrassed to be a pureblood myself, now that they were talking about how most of them were stuck up about it. I didn't even want to mention that that was how my father saw things as well, like the Malfoy's. I just stayed quiet, my eyes down and listened.

"'Dirty blood' Why, there isn't a wizard alive today that's not half blood or less," Hagrid exclaimed. "More ter the point, they've yet to think of a spell that our Hermione can' do. Come here…" Hagrid sighed, taking Hermione's hands as she walked toward him. "Don't you think on it, Hermione. Don't you think on it for one minute… eh?"

Another slug.


	4. Beware

"Harry!"

I jumped at the sound of Hermione's voice as it snapped out of… whatever it snapped me out of. I looked around and found myself in one of the halls near the DADA room.

"How in the-?" I began.

I honestly couldn't remember who I had gotten here, it was like I had been sleep walking. I shook myself and sighed sadly. Another thing I had to worry about now, sleep walking through the castle. The next thing I'll know, I'll end up waking up in the dark forest surrounded by centaurs.

"Did you hear it?" I heard Harry say somewhere off. I immediately followed the sound of his voice until I saw the three of them standing around each other.

"Hear what?" Ron asked.

"That voice,"

"Voice? What voice?" Hermione asked, looking around as if she expected someone to jump out and grab her.

"I heard it first in Lockhart's office. And then again just-" Harry trailed off as he looked up and around before his eyes went wide. "It's moving. I think it's going to kill,"

"Kill?" Ron asked as Harry ran past him, nearly knocking into me.

"Harry, wait! Not so fast!" Hermione yelled running past me.

"What's this all about?" I yelled as I raced after them all.

Harry came to a stop at the end of the Hall and looked around before continuing on, leaving us to follow. The ground was covered in water, and when Harry stopped, I saw that in front of him, were a line of spiders, looking more like ants, as the climbed through the window where it had been broken.

"Strange. I've never seen spiders act like that," Harry commented.

"I don't like spiders…" Ron whined. "What's that?" he suddenly asked, looking down at a reflection in the water.

On the wall across from us was a message written in blood, recently by the looked of how it was glinting and dripping. The surprise and fear that should have hit me never came as I looked at the wall, scrunching my nose as I looked at the message.

"_'The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Enemies the heir beware_,' It's written in blood," Hermione read.

"Oh, no… It's Filch's cat. It's Mrs. Norris," Harry said, drawing all of our attention to the cat, hanging by it's tail next to the message.

I spun when I heard people coming, and of course, a huge group of Gryffindors, probably coming from dinner by the way my stomach felt. Then, from the other way came a group of Slytherin.

"'_Enemies of the heir beware_?" Draco exclaimed form the group of Slytherin before eyeing Hermione. "You'll be next, Mudbloods!"

"What's going on 'ere?" I heard Filch yell, and immediately felt dread as I realized what he'd find as soon as he made it through. "Go on, make way, make way. Potter, what are you… Mrs. Norris?" he gasped as he saw his cat, and then glared daggers down at Harry, making me feel guilty. "You've- murdered my cat," he growled.

"No. No," Harry stuttered out.

"I'll kill ya… _I'll kill ya_!" Filch screamed, grabbing Harry by the front of his shirt.

"Argus!" the sound of Professor Dumbledore's voice made me both relax and tense at the same time. "Argus, I-" When Professor Dumbledore finally made it through the crowd, along with Professor McGonagall, Snape and Lockheart. Professor Dumbledore stopped and stared at the message before looking about. "Everyone will proceed to their dormitories immediately," Everyone began but then Dumbledore spoke again. "Everyone except…" Let me guess. "You four," Harry, Ron, Hermione and I sighed and stood together as we watched the teachers talk amongst themselves. "She's not dead, Argus. She has been petrified,"

"Ah, thought so," Lockheart interrupted. "So unlucky I wasn't there. I know exactly the counter curse that could have spared her," I rolled my eyes, and to my amusement noticed that most of the other teachers did the same.

"But how she has been petrified, I cannot say-"

"Ask him," Filch interrupted. "It's him who's done it. You saw what he wrote on the wall,"

"It's not true sir, I swear. I never touched Mrs. Norris," Harry insisted.

"Rubbish!" Filch yelled angrily.

"If I might, Headmaster? Perhaps Potter and his friends were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time," I raised an eyebrow, surprised that Snape would even think of taking our side. "However," Aw, here we go. "The circumstances are suspicious. I, for one, don't recall seeing Potter at dinner,"

"I'm afraid that's my doing, Severus," Lockheart spoke up. "You see, Harry was helping me answer my fan mail,"

"That's why Ron and I went looking for him, Professor. We'd just found him when he said…" Hermione trailed off and looked over at Harry.

"Yes, Miss Granger?"

"When I said I wasn't hungry," Harry finished. "We were heading back to the common room when we found Mrs. Norris,"

"And you, Miss Sherwood?" Snape asked, eyeing me.

"I fell asleep in the common room. I woke up and decided to go and see if I could catch a bit of dinner when I caught up with them," I half lied, hoping it didn't show through.

Snape eyed me before turning back to Professor Dumbledore who cut him off before he could even start talking. "Innocent until proven guilty, Severus,"

"My cat has been petrified. I wanna see some punishment!" Filch shouted.

"We will be able to cure her, Argus. As I understand it, Madame Sprout has a very healthy growth of Mandrakes. When matured, a potion will be made which will revive Mrs. Norris. And in the meantime, I strongly recommend caution… to all," Dumbledore told us, eyeing the four of us.

* * *

><p>Once we were free to go, Harry, Ron, Hermione and I made our way to the stairs and up to our dormitory. "It's a bit strange, isn't it?" Hermione murmured.<p>

"Strange?" Harry asked.

"You hear this voice, a voice only you can hear, and then Mrs. Norris turns up petrified. It's just… strange," Hermione said, looking uncomfortable.

"Do you think I should have told them? Dumbledore and the others, I mean?"

"Are you mad?" Ron exclaimed.

"No, Harry. Even in the wizarding world, hearing voices isn't a good sign," Hermione sighed before continuing on, I right behind her.

"Could I have your attention, please?" Professor McGonagall called, as we started our new lesson in Transfiguration. "Right. Now, today, we will be transforming animals into water goblets,"

I had to admit, out of all of the spells I knew, this was not one of them. Though I knew that this spell wouldn't be one my father deemed necessary for me to learn.

"Like so," Professor McGonagall continued, turning to the bird sitting on her desk and she pointed her wand at it. "One, two, three, _Vera verto_," Instantly, the bird shrunk and turned into a beautiful shinning goblet with gems on the sides. "Now it's your turn. Well, who would like to go first?" Professor McGonagall smiled, looking around the room until her eyes fell on Ron. "Ah! Mr. Weasley. 'One, two, three. Vera verto,'," she instructed.

Ron cleared his throat and pointed his wand as Scabbers, tapping his wand against him three times before saying; "_Vera verto!_"

A spark flew out from where Ron's wand was broken, and turned Scabbers into a goblet… or more so, a furry one with a tail that squeaked.

"That wand needs replacing, Mr. Weasley," she said turning to go back to her desk when Hermione raised her hand. "Yes, Miss Granger?"

"Professor, I was wondering if you could tell us about the- the Chamber of Secrets?" Silence descended over the room as we all waited for Professor McGonagall to speak.

"Very well," she sighed. "Well, you all know, of course, that Hogwarts was founded over a thousand years ago by the four greatest witches and wizards of the age: Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin. Now, three of the founders coexisted quite harmoniously. One did not-"

"Three guesses who," Ron whispered loudly.

"Salazar Slytherin wished to be more selective about the students admitted to Hogwarts. He believed magical learning should be kept within all-magic families. In other words, 'pure-bloods,' Unable to sway the others, he decided to leave the school. Now, according to legend, Slytherin had built a hidden chamber in this castle, known as the Chamber of Secrets. Though, shortly before departing, he sealed it until that time when his own true heir returned to the school. The heir alone would be able to open the Chamber and unleash the horror within, and by so doing purge the school of all those who, in Slytherin's view, were unworthy to study magic,"

"Muggle-borns," Hermione added.

"Well, naturally, the school had been searched many times. No such chamber has been found,"

"Professor?" Hermione asked, causing the professor to turn and look at her. "What exactly does legend tell us lies within the Chamber?"

"Well, the Chamber is said to home to something that only the Heir of Slytherin can control… It is said to be the home of a monster,"

_Draco lives in there? _I thought to myself, trying to hide the smile that tried to break over my face.

* * *

><p>"D'you think it's true? D'you think there really is a Chamber of Secrets?" Ron asked as the four of us walked down the halls.<p>

"Yes. Couldn't you tell? McGonagall's worried. All the teachers are,"

"Well, if there really is a Chamber of Secrets," Harry began. "And it really has been opened, then that means-"

"The Heir of Slytherin has returned to Hogwarts," Hermione finished. "The question is, who is it?"

"Let's think," Ron bit out sarcastically as Draco walked by. "Who do we know who thinks all Muggle-borns are scum?"

"If you're talking about Malfoy-" Hermione began angrily.

"Of course. You heard him! 'You'll be next Mudbloods,'," Ron quoted.

"I heard him. But Malfoy, the Heir of Slytherin?" Hermione asked, not sounding convinced.

"Well, maybe Ron's right, Hermione. I mean, look at his family. The whole lot of them have been in Slytherin for centuries," Harry said.

"But if it was Draco, he wouldn't be keeping it to himself. He'd be blabbing to someone about it," I said quickly, speaking up for the first time.

"Crabbe and Goyle must know," Ron said suddenly. "Maybe we could trick them into telling,"

"Even they aren't that thick," I sighed.

"But there might be another way," Hermione said, drawing all of our attention to her as she stopped, looking at us uncomfortably. "Mind you, it would be difficult. Not to mention, we would be breaking about fifty school rules. And, it'll be dangerous… very dangerous,"

"When has that ever stopped us before, Hermione?" I smiled, rolling my eyes.

* * *

><p>"Here it is," Hermione announced, coming back to us, reading from Moste Potente Potions.<p>

"I have that book, my father gave it to me as a gift before coming here first year," I interrupted, getting a surprised look from Hermione before she looked back down at the book and reading it to us allowed.

"_'The Polyjuice Potion, properly brewed, allows the drinker to transform themselves temporarily into the physical form of another_,'," Hermione read, making my body go stiff. Shape shifting?

"Do you mean, if Harry and I drink that stuff, we'll turn into Crabbe and Goyle?" Ron asked, looking a little too excited.

"Yes," I answered shortly.

"Wicked! Malfoy'll tell us anything," Ron smiled.

"Exactly," Hermione nodded before looking back down at the book. "But it's tricky. I've never seen a more complicated potion," Hermione sighed as she looked down at the instructions. "Have you ever made Polyjuice Potion before, Rebecca?"

"No," I answered a bit too quickly, feeling uncomfortable. "My father never thought I would need to learn to make it," I answered truthful.

I'd never need to use Polyjuice Potion because it had the power to shift into whoever I wanted already.

"Well, how long will it take to make?" Harry asked.

"A month," I said looking up at him.

"A month?" he bit out. "But- if Malfoy is the Heir of Slytherin, he could attack half the Muggle-borns in the school by then!" he exclaimed.

"I know," Hermione sighed. "But it's the only plan we've got,"

I sighed and slumped down against the counter.

How was I supposed to tell them that I didn't need Polyjuice Potion? How was I supposed to tell them that I was in fact a Metamorphmagus? If I told them now, they'd make me go and ask Malfoy in one of the boys forms. But for the life of me I didn't want to, and I knew that if I did it as one of the boys, the other two would know something was up and I would be caught. But if I didn't tell Harry, Ron and Hermione and they somehow found out later on, they would hate me forever, and I wouldn't have any friends at all.

Like before.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: PLEASE REVEIW!<strong>


	5. Rogue Bludger

The Quidditch game was going badly, no matter how hard Gryffindor seemed to play. Slytherin was up fifty points and it seemed that they would be winning this match, though at least they weren't taking anyone out this time around.

"Another goal for Slytherin! They lead Gryffindor ninety to thirty!" the announcer said over the speaker, making Gryffindors moral go down a notch.

I watched Harry mostly, since nothing much else was happening in the game itself besides us loosing. A Bludger flew at him and he barely had enough time to duck before it hit him. Draco then flew up next to him, Oliver Wood appearing next to Harry as well. Without Oliver knowing, the Bludger came flying back, breaking his wand and sending him hurtling to the ground. Harry went flying then, trying to escape the Bludger.

"Blimey! Harry's got himself a rogue Bludger! That's been tampered with, that has!" Hagrid yelled.

"I'll stop it," Ron growled, pulling out his wand.

"No!" I nearly screamed, grabbing his wan out of his hand before he could do anything.

"Even with a proper wand it's too risky. You could hit Harry!" Hermione explained, looking back to Harry as I handed Ron his wand back.

Luckily, before long Harry shook the Bludger by sending it through a wall, though I knew it wouldn't stop the Bludger for long. Harry flew back around as Draco flew up to him. After a second I saw a bit of gold flash by him, though Draco didn't notice. The Bludger then came flying at the two of them, both narrowly dodging it before Harry flew at the Snitch, surprising Draco. And then the raise was on for the Snitch, Bludger following close behind.

I followed them with my eyes until they disappeared beneath the field after the Snitch. But when Malfoy appeared again, being thrown from his broom and landing hard on the field, I had a hard time deciding weither to smile or to feel immensely bad for the guy.

I didn't have to think on it for to long though, since my eyes were drawn to Harry who reappeared again, chasing after the Snitch. He had his arm raised as the Bludger came at him, and I could practically hear the sickening crack of the Bludger meeting his arm from across the field. But Harry kept going, pulling his arm to him and reaching out with his other until he lurched forward, spinning around his broomstick until he was hanging from it, skidding across the ground until he came to a stop.

"Let's go," Hermione whispered as we all pushed our way through the crowd and down to the entrance to the field.

"Harry Potter has caught the Snitch! Gryffindor wins!" the announcer cheered over the speaker as Hermione, Ron, Hagrid and I made our way across the field to Harry, who was still being attack by the stupid homicidal Bludger.

"_Finite Incantatem!_" I yelled, flicking my wand at the Bludger which exploded above Harry, almost looking like fireworks.

"Thank you," he hissed as I dropped down on my knees next to him.

"Are you okay?"

"No, I think my- I think my arm's broken," Harry hissed as Lockheart dropped down next to him, across from me.

"I can fix it if you want me to. I know a spell for that," I suggested shyly.

"No, no, no!" Lockheart exclaimed. "A student shouldn't be doing something as delicate as mending bones," Lockheart said confidently, making me want to puke like always. "Not to worry, Harry. I will fix that arm of yours straight away,"

"No, not you," Harry said, looking more scared than I had ever seen him before. "How about Madame Pomfrey? Or you do it, Rebecca?" Harry asked, looking to me desperately.

"Oh, poor boy. Doesn't know what he's saying," Lockheart said, grabbing Harry's arm and pushing back the sleeve. "Now, this won't hurt a bit," Lockheart pulled out his wand and pointed it at Harry's arm. "_Brackium Emendo!_"

There was a bright light and then Lockheart put down his wand and picked up Harry's arm. Harry's arm however, slumped the wrong way, looking like a flesh colored rubber glove rather that an arm. I nearly hurled right then with the combination of the boneless arm and Lockheart.

"Ah, yes, well, ha, that can sometimes happen, um, but- uh, the point is, uh…" Lockheart stuttered as he bent Harry's hand back all the way until the back of his hand was touching his wrist. "You can no longer feel any pain, and, heh- very clearly, the bones are not broken," Lockheart chuckled nervously, making me glare daggers at him.

"Broken? There's no bones left!" Hagrid exclaimed.

Suddenly, Harry's hand flipped back into place and then slumped down like a dead fish, making me need to look away for a bit.

"Much more flexible, though," he smiled before looking around uncomfortably. "So, Harry, just toddle up to the Hospital Wing- ah, Miss Sherwood, Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger- Would you all please escort him?- and Madame Pomfrey can just- er- tidy you up a bit,"

Ron and I helped Harry to his feet while Hagrid and Hermione helped get him through the crowds until we reached the Hospital Wing where I could see Draco moaning off on another bed. We explained everything to Madame Pomfrey while sitting Harry down on a nearby bed.

She was not pleased.

"He should've been brought straight to me. I can mend bones in a heartbeat- but growing them back…" she sighed.

"You will be able to, won't you?" Hermione asked.

"Oh, I'll be able to, certainly. But it'll be painful. Re-growing bones is a nasty business," Madame Pomfrey answered, looking sadly down at Harry's sad, boneless arm as it hung at his side. She then walked off and grabbed a pair of pajamas before chucking them at him. "You'll have to spend the night- put those on,"

Madame Pomfrey pulled a curtain around the bed we had set Harry on and told Ron to help him into the pajamas before leaving.

"So what do you think of Lockheart now, Hermione? You can't be sticking up for him now that he nearly de-boned Harry," Ron called from the other side of the screen.

"Anyone can make a mistake," Hermione tried.

"And Lockheart just so happens to make a lot of them?" I bit out sarcastically. "The man's a fake,"

"But your arm doesn't hurt anymore, does it Harry?" Hermione tried again, making me roll my eyes.

"No, but it doesn't do much else either," Harry answered, making me laugh.

"Oh, Mr. Malfoy, stop making such a fuss, you can go," I heard Madame Pomfrey yell as she came back a few minutes later.

As she came closer to us, I smiled as I heard her muttering to herself about inept teachers and thirty-three bones. She pulled back the curtain as Ron was helping Harry back into bed, trying not to touch Harry's floppy arm.

"You're in for a rough night, Potter," Madame Pomfrey sighed as she poured some Skele-Gro into a beaker and handed it to Harry who took a gulp, and then spit it out, making Ron, Hermione and I jump backward.

"Ugh!"

"Well, what do you expect? Pumpkin juice?"


	6. A what?

"Again? You mean the Chamber of Secrets has been opened before?" Hermione asked as Harry explained that the elusive house-elf had told him.

I personally only knew one house-elf from my families group of friends, Dobby, the Malfoy's house-elf. Malfoy had always tortured the pour thing so badly, berating him, hitting him, it was a wonder that Dobby still managed to be so kind.

"Of course. Don't you see? Lucius Malfoy must have opened it when he was at school here. And now he's taught Draco how to do it," Ron theorized.

"Maybe," Hermione said, adding more ingredients to the cauldron. "We'll have to wait for the Polyjuice Potion to know for sure,"

"Enlighten me. Why are we brewing this potion in broad daylight, in the middle of a girl's lavatory? Don't you think we'll get caught?" Ron asked looking around.

Hermione snorted in amusement. "No. No one ever comes in here,"

"Why?" Ron asked

"Moaning Myrtle," Hermione said simply.

"Who?" Ron asked confused as Myrtle stuck her head out of the third stall and glared as an unsuspecting Ron.

"Moaning Myrtle," I smiled, pointing a her.

"Who's Moaning Myrtle?" Ron asked.

"I'm Moaning Myrtle!" Myrtle screeched angrily as Ron as he stared wide eyed at her, his back pressed against one of the stalls. She then flew up to float over the sinks to stare down at us. "But I wouldn't expect you to know me! Who would ever talk about ugly, miserable, moping Moaning Myrtle?" Myrtle asked before sniffling and then shrieking as she flew back past us all and diving into her toilet, the water springing everywhere inside the stall.

"She's a little sensitive," Hermione shrugged.

"A bit?" Ron asked sarcastically, eyes wide.

"Anyway, the Polyjuice Potion should be ready in about two weeks… I think it'll be enough for the four of us," Hermione sighed, looking into the bubbling cauldron.

I sighed, wrapping my arms around myself before looking at each of my friends, feeling dread. I needed to tell them, but I knew that as soon as I did they would start attacking me about how if I had gone in undercover to ask Malfoy, Colin might not be petrified right now. Deep down however, I knew it wasn't Malfoy opening the chamber, it was just too simple for it to be him. But if I didn't tell them and they found out later they might not talk to me ever again. I sighed again and drew my knees up and rested my chin on them as I stared as the cauldron.

"What is it, Rebecca?"

I looked up at Harry to see him looking at me concerned, then I glanced up at Hermione and Ron who were also looking over at me and sighed. Now over never.

"I need to tell you all something," I said quietly.

"Alright, let's have it," Ron said quickly.

I sighed again and looked down at the floor before saying anything, hoping that if I stared down at the stone floor I wouldn't have to see their faces.

"I'm a… I'm a Metamorphmagus," I said quickly.

After a long bit of silence Harry spoke up. "What's a…?"

"A Metamorphmagus is a person who can change their physical appearance at will so that they can look like anyone at all without the use of any Polyjuice Potion. They are very, very rare," Hermione explained.

"Blimey," Ron sighed, before his eyebrows furrowed. "Now wait, how do we know you're really what Hermione says. What if it's all hear say? After all, we've known you for over a year and you never told us," Ron said.

"You think I'm lying?" I smiled standing to look at Ron.

I slowly let the look of Ron wash over me, feeling more like an egg cracking over my head though. Ron's eyes widened as he stared at 'himself' standing across from him, 'his' arms crossed over 'his' chest.

"See?" I asked, though my voice was still mine.

"Wicked," Ron smiled as he shoved off of the stall and walked around me, admiring himself. "I look good,"

I rolled my eyes and shift into Hermione, feeling my hair grow out and frizz around me, feeling my body shorten so that I matched her height.

"Whoa," Harry gasped as he stared at 'Hermione' and then glanced down at Hermione. "That's amazing,"

I blushed and morphed into Harry, gaining height and my hair shortening and darkening. My eyes blurred tremendously so I left out morphing my eyes and stayed with mine, only coloring them blue.

"I didn't tell you cause there was no need for morphing last year," I said, trying to explain myself as I morphed back into the blonde haired, gold eyed girl I portrayed. "I wanted to tell you as soon as you mentioned using Polyjuice Potion, but… my father always taught me to keep it a secret, to never tell anyone, no matter what,"

"It's alright, Rebecca," Harry assured me, though I knew that his mind was on Colin, who had only last night been petrified. "At least we know now, and we can send you in as either Crabbe or Goyle,"

"No!" Hermione exclaimed, catching us all off guard. "I have been working too hard on this potion to not use it. We will wait and then we will all go as planned. If we don't get the information we want then we can send Rebecca in another day. But we _will_ use this potion," We all stared wide eyed down at her as she looked like she might explode.

"But Hermione, more people might-"

"It will be safer if we at least send someone else in with her," Hermione explained as she looked up at me. "That's the end of it,"

* * *

><p>We were all gathered inside the Great Hall standing on either side of a long, padded stage that sat in the center of the room. We had been gathered here so we could learn dueling, for the obvious reasons of students being petrified.<p>

"Gather 'round, gather 'round!" Lockheart yelled as he walked the length of the stage. "Can everybody see me? Can you all hear me?" he asked with that stupid grin on his face. "Excellent! In light of the dark events of recent weeks, Professor Dumbledore has granted me permission to start this little Dueling Club to train you all up in case you ever need to defend yourselves, as I myself have done on countless occasions- for full details, see my published works," I rolled my eyes. With that he undid the tie on his cloak and threw it into the crowd of screaming girls. "Let me introduce my assistant, Professor Snape," I looked down the stage to watch Snape climb the steps and begin to approach Lockheart, his face blank of emotion.

"Goddess, I don't know who to root for now," I murmured to Ron who snickered as we watched the two teachers.

"He has sportingly agreed to help me with a short demonstration. Now, I don't want any of you youngsters to worry- you'll still have your Potions master when I'm through with him, never fear," The question was if we would still have our DADA professor when this was done.

The two Professor's walked toward each other and stopped before putting their wands in front of their faces and bowing to each other. They took their wands away from their face and put their arm at their side before turning and walking to their own ends of the stage. They turned to face each other, sporting different poses as they watched each other carefully.

"One, two, three-"

"_Expelliarmus!_"

White light burst from Snape's wand and hit Lockheart, throwing him backwards before he crashed down onto the stage.

"Do you think he's all right?" Hermione asked.

"Who cares?" Ron smiled beside me.

After a long moment and some moaning, Lockheart stood and busted himself off before walking back up to Snape. "An excellent idea to show them that, Professor Snape, but if you don't mind me saying, it was pretty obvious what you were about to do. And if I had wanted to stop you, it would have been only too easy," Of course he'd say that.

"Perhaps it would be prudent to first teach the students to block unfriendly spells, Professor," Snape suggested, faintly making me wish that he was the DADA professor.

Wait, what'd I just say?

"An excellent suggestion, Professor Snape!" Lockheart smiled before turning to look down at us students. "Ah… Let's have a volunteer pair! Um, Potter, Weasley, how about you?" I sighed sadly as Harry pushed past me to go up onto the stage to duel.

"Weasley's wand causes devastation with the simplest spells. We'll be sending Potter to the hospital wing in a matchbox," Snape commented, making Ron stop. "Might I suggest someone from my own house? Malfoy, perhaps?"

Aw, this would be good… or bad.

Harry and Malfoy both stepped up onto the stage and faced each other, holding their wands in front of each other before turning away from each other without bowing. They then spun around to face each other, both sporting the same poses that the professors had done.

"On the count of three, cast your charms to disarm your opponent- only to disarm. We don't want any accidents here. One, two-"

"_Everte Statium!_" Malfoy yelled before Lockheart ever got to three, which blew Harry backwards, slamming him into the stage. I hissed at his pain as he stood and aimed at Malfoy.

"_Rictusempra!_" Harry yelled, sending a purple-y light at Malfoy which hit him into the stomach. Malfoy immediately fell to his knees laughing loudly and gasping for breath.

"I said disarm only!" Lockheart yelled as Malfoy lifted his wand and pointed it at Harry.

"_Tarantallegra!_" Malfoy gasped out sending a yell light at Harry's legs which sent Harry's legs twitching, making him looking vaguely like he was dancing.

"_Finite Incantatem!_" Snape's voice ran out and immediately, Malfoy stopped gasping and Harry stopped twitching, they both stood and glared before Malfoy moved.

"_Serpensortia!_"

A snake sprang from the end of Draco's wand and landed with a thud on the stage before slithering toward Harry, hissing as it went.

"Don't move, Potter. I'll get rid of it for you," Snape sighed, walking across the stage.

"Allow me, Professor Snape. _Alarte Ascendare!_" The snake flew into the air, hissing before it slammed down into the stage again, looking thoroughly ticked off.

Out of the corner of my eye I could see Harry walking toward the snake and began to speak. "Sya- hassa- she," At the sound of those words, the snake turned and eyed Justin and hissed at him, showing his fangs.

I, on the other hand, shrunk away from the sounds of those words, the word of a Parselmouth. For some reason, even though they were coming from Harry, my friend, the words themselves scared me until I felt my body shake in fear.

"Sya- hasi- heth. Sya- hasi- heth," Harry kept going, making the snake move closer to Justin, looking more agitated.

"_Vipera Evenesca!_" I cried, whipping my wand out and aiming at the snake.

The snake turned and tried to strike at me, but it was already to late, it began to burn, starting in the middle and looking more like a lit wick to a bomb than a vanishing snake.

Once it was gone, and Harry stopping speaking Parseltongue, I stopped shaking and my bravery flooded back into me, letting me catch my breath and stand up straight.

"What are you playing at?" Justin bit out as he glared up at Harry, who was looking as if he had just come to.

"That will be all for today children- um… go back to your dormitories… or whatever," Lockheart stuttered out.

Harry immediately turned around and ran off the stage, everyone near him parting like the red sea as he ran by. "Come on," Hermione hissed to Ron and I as we elbowed our way through the crowd until we finally caught up to Harry in the common room.

"You're a Parselmouth? Why didn't you tell us?" Ron immediately exclaimed as we caught up to him, making Harry stop.

"I'm a what?" Harry asked, confused.

"You can talk to snakes," Hermione said simply.

"I know- I mean- I accidentally set a python on my cousin Dudley at the zoo once," Ron and Hermione stared at him while I tried to fight the urge to laugh. "Uh, once! But, so what? I bet loads of people here can do it,"

"No, they can't," Hermione said quickly, making Harry look over at her. "It's not a very common gift, Harry. This is bad,"

"What's bad? If I hadn't told that snake not to attack Justin-"

"No, that's what you said to it!" Ron interrupted.

"You were there! You heard me!" Harry exclaimed.

"I heard you speaking Parseltongue. Snake language?" Ron said back.

"I spoke a different language?" Harry asked in shock. "But- I didn't realize I- how can I speak a language without knowing I can?"

"I don't know, Harry, but it sounded like you were egging the snake on, or something," Hermione said, making Harry look uncomfortable. "Harry, listen to me. There's a reason the symbol of Slytherin House is a serpent. Salazar Slytherin was a Parselmouth. He could talk to snakes, too,"

"Exactly! Now the whole school's gonna think you're his great- great- great grandson, or something," Ron exclaimed.

"But I'm not… I can't be," Harry said, though he didn't sound very convinced.

"He lived a thousand years ago, for all we know, you could be," Hermione sighed.


	7. Caught in the Act

I woke up in the common room, laying on the couch near the fire, feeling like I had ran twenty miles none stop and only just collapsed. My brain felt like it was trying to grow until it sprayed out my ears, making me moan when I sat up to fast. I glanced around and found myself alone. I sighed and rested my head in my hands, feeling more depressed than I had ever felt when being around my father for to long. The feeling gripped my heart, making it feel icy and cold around the edges.

I groaned and stood, deciding to go find Harry, Ron and Hermione if I could, before it was time for bed. I slid through the portrait hole, the Fat Lady giving me a look as she closed the hole, and walked around the halls. I wasn't really sure where I was going by the time I realized I probably wasn't going to find Harry, Ron and Hermione like this. But when I turned a corner and skidded to a stop, Harry, Ron and Hermione were no longer the main thing on my mind.

Before me was a petrified Justin, a look of complete terror frozen onto his face as he stared off at the ceiling. On the other side of him was Nearly Headless Nick, his head hanging off to the side, revealing why he was only nearly headless. The look of them together, frozen and looking close to dead made me want to run and scream like a five-year-old. But then Harry appeared, coming around the corner in front of me, seeing Sir Nicholas first, his eyes wide.

"Harry?" I asked in shock.

"Rebecca?" he asked back, looking just as shock.

"I didn't-" we both said in unison as Filch came around the corner, his eyes landing on Harry and I.

"Caught in the act! Planning on havin' Miss Sherwood as your next victim are ya' Potter? I'll have ya' out this time, mark my words," Filch growled before running off the way he came to get a teacher.

"No! Mr. Filch! Y-you- you don't understand!" Harry yelled after him, but it was no use. He turned back to me and sighed sadly before his eyes caught on something on the window. I looked over and saw the same thing he did, the same type of queue of spiders as at the scene with Mrs. Norris.

"Oh!" The frightened gasp made Harry and I spin around to see Professor McGonagall with her hand over her mouth, staring in shock at Sir Nicholas and Justin before her eyes touched on Harry and I.

"Professor-" I began but Harry cut me off.

"I swear I di-"

"This is out of my hands," Professor McGonagall cut us off before leading us through the halls until we came to a large statue. "Professor Dumbledore will be waiting for you," Harry and I stepped into the little nook along with the statue as the professor said; "Sherbet lemon," Steps appeared as the statue began to turn and move upward, I immediately stepped on the top step as Harry stepped on the third behind me as the stair rose until we came to the door into Dumbledore's office.

Harry stepped past me and knocked gently on the large wooden door and waited patently for a moment. When there was no answer, he knocked again and slowly opened the door and peaked his head in. "Professor Dumbledore?"

I slowly followed Harry in hoping that we wouldn't get in trouble for coming in uninvited. Dumbledore's office was actually quiet spectacular really, having all of the pictures of past headmasters, having random gadgets about and a treasure trove of books, more that even my mother owned.

I shyly looked around at the sleeping pictures while Harry bravely walked right up to the Sorting Hat and began conversing with it.

"…you would have done well in Slytherin," I heard the Sorting Hat say as I walked over to were a elderly looking phoenix was sitting, looking at me weakly, but I didn't dare touch him.

"You're wrong," I heard Harry say before I felt him come to stand beside me, also looking at the phoenix. Suddenly the bird burst into flames, falling off it's perch into a pile of ashes.

"Harry?" I jumped and turned to see Professor Dumbledore at the top of the stairs looking down at us.

"Professor! Sir, your bird- there was nothing I could do- he- he just caught fire!" Harry explained, panicked.

"Oh, and about time, too. He's been looking dreadful for days. Pity you had to see him on a burning day," Dumbledore explained, making Harry look confused. "Fawkes is a phoenix, Harry. They burst into flame when it is time for them to die, and then they are reborn from the ashes,"

Dumbledore moved down the stairs and forward to the stand, looking down at the pile of ashes. Slowly, a small featherless baby phoenix poked it's head out of the ashes and weakly squawked at him lovingly.

"Ah, fascinating creatures, phoenixes," Dumbledore sighed. "They can carry immensely heavy loads, and their tears have healing powers,"

Suddenly the door burst open and Hagrid stumbled in, a dead chicken in one hands as he approached us. "Professor Dumbledore, sir! Wait! Listen! Professor Dumbledore, sir, it can't Harry! He'd never hurt no one, definitely not Rebecca! It wasn't Harry,"

"Hagrid-"

"In fact, I'd be prepared ter swear it in front o' the Ministry of Magic!"

"Hagrid!" Dumbledore finally interrupted, getting a word in. "Relax. I do not believe that Harry attempted to hurt Rebecca or attacked anyone,"

"Well, of course you don't, and- Oh…" The Hagrid actually heard what Dumbledore said. "Oh, right. Well, I'll, um- I'll just wait outside, then," Hagrid cleared his throat and smiled nervously down at me before walking out of the room with his dead chicken.

Once the door closed Professor Dumbledore turned to me and smiled down at me. "Rebecca, would you mind waiting outside?" he asked.

I slowly nodded before eyeing Harry as I moved towards the door, giving him an encouraging smile as I walked out the door, closing it gently behind me. I turned around to find Hagrid standing before me, dead chicken hanging in my face.

"Oh… 'ello Rebecca, I was just-"

"Listening at the door?"

"Course not… no… maybe… yes,"

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Reveiws please.<strong>


	8. Polyjuice Potion

"Everything's set," Hermione smiled as she and I sat down at the dinner table, across from the boys as Ron shoveled food into his mouth.

"We just need a bit of who you three are changing into," I added.

"Crabbe and Goyle,"

"We also need to make sure that the real Crabbe and Goyle can't burst in on us while we're interrogating Malfoy," I smiled evilly.

"How?" Ron asked.

"I've got it all worked out," I quickly pulled out four cupcakes with chocolate frosting and set them on the table in front of everyone. "I filled these with a simple Sleeping Draught. Simple, but powerful. Father always has me bring potions along with me to school, good thing to, huh?"

"Now," Hermione continued. "Once they're asleep hide them in the broomstick cupboard and pull out a few of their hairs, and put on their uniforms,"

"Whose hair are you ripping out then?" Ron challenged.

"I've already got mine," Hermione smiled, pulling out a specimen tub with a bit of hair in it. "Millicent Bulstrode- Slytherin- I got this off her robes. I'm going to go check on the Polyjuice Potion," Hermione said quickly.

"And we will make sure everyone finds these," I smiled evilly again, making Harry and Ron look at me worriedly.

* * *

><p>I, as Ginny Weasley, walked down the halls with the plate of poisoned cupcakes looking around the halls, waiting for my victims. Harry and Ron were hiding behind a large statue, Ron looking somewhat scared for me, even though I wasn't actually Ginny.<p>

When I heard footsteps and laughter, my body froze with fear for a moment before I started to skip, like I had once seen Ginny do, toward the voices. When Pansy, and the dumb twins come around the corner, Millicent following shyly behind, I skidded to a stop, a look of horror etched onto my face that I hoped look really.

At first Crabbe and Goyle didn't even realize 'I' was standing there, them being so entranced by their food that they had pilled up in their arms, and Pansy paying attention to them with utter disgust etched into her face, while Millicent was entranced with her shoes. But it was Pansy that looked up and smiled evilly at me and stopped, crossing her arms.

"Oh, look everyone," Pansy smiled. "A wittle weenie Weasley, walking all alone through the halls,"

Slowly, they all surrounded me, Crabbe and Goyle eyeing the cupcakes, Millicent seemed like she wanted to be apart, while Pansy stared down at me like I was prey.

"What should we do to you, Weasel-Bee?" Pansy asked, using Draco's nickname for Ron on Ginny.

"Please, don't- I- I-" I pretended to stutter in Ginny's voice.

"But, but, but," Goyle pretended to stutter, sticking his lip out as spit rained down on me. "But nothing,"

"Please, take these and leave me alone," I cried, shoving the plate at Millicent, who would probably be the least likely to eat them, and least likely to instantly throw them at the ground.

"Your not getting off that easily, Weaslette," Pansy hissed out, getting into my face before I felt someone shove me down, nearly making me skid backwards across the ground.

"Hand those over, Millie!" Crabbe and Goyle cried grabbing for one cupcake each before nearly swallowing them whole. Millicent picked one up shyly and nibbled at one before Crabbe snatched it from her hand and swallowing it whole. Goyle grabbed the other one and swallowed it whole at well. Three down, one to go.

Pansy however, was still glaring down at me, as I pretended to shake in fear as I sat up from the floor. She stepped closer to me before slowly taking out her wand, aiming it down at me.

Behind her, I watched as Crabbe, Goyle, and Millicent all dropped, unconscious, onto the ground, nearly silently since I had Harry use his wand to magically catch them all and lower them to the ground.

"Where's your brothers now?" Pansy smiled.

"Right here," I smiled as I morphed only my head into Percy's, as Ginny's body sat beneath it. Pansy's eyes turned to saucers as she stumbled backward. "And here," I morphed my head into one of the twins' and laughed loudly, making it sound like them. Pansy stumbled backward, a scream on her lips but I stood and morphed into Draco and pretended to be freaked out that I was wearing a skirt.

"What is this?" Pansy cried before I flicked out my wand.

"_Stupefy_,"

Pansy dropped like a rock to the ground, unconscious. I smiled down at her before I morphed back into my blond haired, golden eyed self as Harry and Ron appeared from behind the statue.

"Forget to catch her did you?" I asked while a smile threatened to break across my face.

"She pushed you and Ginny," Harry said simply while Ron glared down at the unconscious Pansy.

"True,"

We slowly and efficiently wand waved the four of them into the nearest broom closet, closing the door behind us so we could get to work. I quickly gave each of them a correct dosage of Sleeping Draught to keep them all asleep for the next hour or so before using _Obliviate_ to make sure none of them remembered Ginny's involvement or my deranged show for Pansy. We then put out a few of Crabbe and Goyle's hair before we ran to the girls bathroom to find Hermione.

We all changed quickly into the robes Hermione provided before she poured the three of them a glass of mud, or Polyjuice Potion.

"We'll have one hour before we change back into ourselves," Hermione reminded the boys as she picked up her own cup. "Add the hairs,"

I scrunched my nose as they each added their person into the Potion, each of their cups contents getting even muddier and chunkier as they foamed a bit as the hairs dissolved.

"Ugh- essence of Crabbe," Ron groaned.

"Cheers," Hermione said sarcastically as the three clinked their cups together before taking a huge gulp of the potion. Everyone's eyes widened as the potion hit their taste buds and Ron dropped his beaker, breaking it against the ground.

"I think I'm gonna be sick!" he moaned before booking it to the nearest stall.

"Me too," Hermione choked out as she dropped her beaker and ran after Ron, into the stall next to his.

"Ughh!" Harry groaned as he dropped his cup, onto the ground as well, but instead of running for a stall, he grabbed his stomach and stumbled over to the nearest sink.

I watched him in curiosity as his hands and face began to bubble, much like the potion had. His features slowly bubbled into new ones until they stuck and then stick as the rest of his body slowly began to bulge.

Suddenly, Goyle stood before me, wearing Harry's glasses.

Harry/Goyle turned toward me, staring at me in surprise until the two of us turned at the sound of one of the stalls opening. Out came Crabbe, staring down at his hands in surprise before he looked up at Harry/Goyle.

"Harry?"

"Ron!"

"Bloody hell!" Ron/Crabbe exclaimed.

Then Harry/Goyle looked over at me, his glasses still on, with a quizzical look on his face. "We still sound like ourselves,"

I stared at them curiously before I sighed and shrugged. "I guess Polyjuice Potion can't do everything?" Then I quickly morphed into Pansy, shortening and widening a bit around the waist while my hair shortened and darkened drastically. "But I can," I smiled, purring in Pansy's voice.

Harry/Goyle smiled at me before turning back to Ron/Crabbe. "Then you need to sound more like Crabbe,"

"Uh… Bloody 'ellw," Ron/Crabbe tried, lowering his voice and slowing down his speech. Harry/Goyle smiled and nodded. "But where's Hermione?" Ron/Crabbe asked.

"I- I don't think I'm going. You go on without me!" Hermione called from inside her stall.

"Hermione, are you okay?" Harry/Goyle asked.

"Just go," I hissed at them, pushing them out of the bathroom. "You're wasting time! I'll check on Hermione and follow after you," Harry/Goyle and Ron/Crabbe looked at each other before nodding and running out of the bathroom toward the Slytherin dormitories.

"Hermione?" I asked, changing my voice back into mine before speaking. I slowly walked back to her stall, stopping outside the door.

"I'm fine for now. You need to go with Harry and Ron," Hermione told me, but I didn't miss what she had said.

"You're fine… _for now_?" I asked, feeling a bit of fear tighten around my heart as I tried to open the door. "Open the door Hermione," I demanded.

"No, go with Harry and Ron, they'll need you," Hermione insisted.

I sighed and took a step away from the door. "Do you promise you'll be okay until we're back?" I asked.

"Yes, now go!" she practically yelled at me.

I sighed again before taking off, morphing my legs longer so that I could hopefully catch Ron and Harry before they found Draco. I descended the steps into the dungeon and was greeted by the sounds of 'Goyle', 'Crabbe' and Percy all speaking to each other.

I ran down the steps and then turned and looked down the hall before taking a breath and focusing on how I imagined Pansy would act, does act, and a little on how Draco acted, before stepping out and stomping down the hall towards the boys.

"What are you knuckle heads doing?" I growled in Pansy's voice, making them all look up at me in surprise. I came to a stop next to them before I glared up at Percy, feeling a little guilty. "Aren't you supposed to be somewhere else? … Like beneath a rock,"

"Excuse me?" Percy asked, raising an eyebrow as he looked down at me. "I am a school prefect, you should show more respect,"

"Hard to respect anyone in Gryffindor," I said rolling my eyes.

"Crabbe, Goyle! Where have you two been? " I heard Draco call from down the hall. "Pigging out in the Great Hall all this time?" As he got closer to us he smiled at me/Pansy and winked at me before looking over at Harry/Goyle. "Why are you wearing glasses?"

"Ah- um… Reading," Harry/Goyle tried, ripping his glasses off and shoving them into his pocket.

"Reading?" Draco asked, sounding surprised.

"Uh-huh," Harry/Goyle nodded jerkily.

"I didn't know you could read," I giggled, making Draco smile at me again before turning to Percy.

"And what are you doing down here, Weasley?"

"Like I was telling Miss Parkinson… mind your attitude," Percy bit out, glaring down at Malfoy. The two glared at each other before Draco turned and walked down the hall, taking us into the Slytherin common room.

Draco grumbled to himself before throwing himself across one of the long leather couches, leaving Harry/Goyle and Ron/Crabbe the other one as I sat daintily on the arm of Draco's couch. Harry/Goyle and Ron/Crabbe stood awkwardly for a moment before Draco gave them an odd look and told them to sit. They dropped down hard, looking up at me for help but I just looked down at my nails.

"You'd never know the Weasleys were pure-bloods, the way they behave," Draco began with a laugh. "They're an embarrassment to the wizarding world. All of them,"

I could see Ron/Crabbe tense up, making me wonder if we'd have to come back another day so that I could couch them on not freaking out at everything Draco said, and how to act better.

"What's wrong with you, Crabbe?" Draco asked, noticing Ron/Crabbe's posture. Harry/Goyle immediately elbowed him, making him stop.

"Ahem… Stomachache,"

Draco raised an eyebrow at him before continuing. "On the other hand, there's that Rebecca. I can't understand how she ended up with the Weasel-Bee's and the whole lot like that idiot Potter,"

I kept my face neutral as I listened to him, and slid down from the arm until I sat next to Draco's feet. I tried to look as interested as possible in everything he was saying, but it was hard when he was insulting me.

"I remember her father telling mine about how wonderful it would be when she and I were both in the same house. Great surprise that all was for him… and I thought he hated her _before_,"

"Well, anyone would hate a Gryffindor," I giggled fakily, getting another smile from Draco. I glanced over at Harry/Goyle and Ron/Crabbe who both gave me a sad look, which made me turn back to Draco as he continued.

"But it was all before she even entered Gryffindor," Draco said before shaking his head and giving a short laugh. "Doesn't matter now though. If she's not careful, she might get confused with a Mudblood if she hangs out with all of Mudbloods to much," I giggled too and smiled brightly at him, hoping it was all believable. "You know, I'm surprised that the Daily Prophet hasn't done a report on all these attacks. I suppose Dumbledore is trying to hush it all up," Draco said, sitting up and scooting over to sit close to me. "Father always said Dumbledore was the worst thing that ever happened to this place,"

"You're wrong!" Harry/Goyle suddenly yelled.

Everyone stared at him wide eyed as he dropped his eyes and Draco stood angrily. "What? You think there's someone here who's worse than Dumbledore? Well? Do you?"

"Of course there is," I giggled, getting Draco to look down at me as I laid back against the couch, stretching like a cat. "That scar head, Harry Potter," I answered.

Draco looked down at me and then back to Harry/Goyle who nodded quickly, probably thankful for a way out. After a moment of thought Draco chuckled. "Good one, Goyle. You're absolutely right," Draco laughed, turning his back to them. "Saint Potter. And people actually think that he's the Heir of Slytherin!" Draco scoffed as he plopped down next to me.

"But then you must have some idea who's behind it all," Harry/Goyle encouraged, making me proud of him.

"You know I don't, Goyle. I told you yesterday. How many times do I have to tell you?" Draco said rolling his eyes at him, before he looked around the room and then looked at the three of us seriously. "But my father did say this; It's been fifty years since the Chamber was opened. He wouldn't tell me who opened it- only that they were expelled. The last time the Chamber of Secrets was opened, a Mudblood died. So, it's only a matter of time before one of them is killed this time… As for me, I hope it's Granger,"

At that comment, Ron/Crabbe sprang up, making my squeak (the squeak was for real) and grab onto Draco's robes, faking fear as I held onto him, hoping that when Pansy heard what 'she' had done she would blush scarlet. However, Harry/Goyle grabbed onto Ron/Crabbe before he could get very far and hit Malfoy.

Malfoy patted me on the back and gave me an odd but interesting look as I let go of him before looking up at the two.

"What's the matter with you two? You're acting very… odd,"

"Yeah! It looked like you were gonna hurt us!" I growled 'angrily' at the two of them.

"It's his… stomachache," Harry/Goyle stuttered out before turning to Ron/Crabbe to hiss something to him.

"Maybe you two should go to the Hospital Wing or something, that stomach ache is going to get you two a good cursing from my wand," I growled at them, hoping they got the point, as I stood up and crossed my arms over my chest, fake glaring at them.

"Maybe your right, Re-" Harry/Goyle began before catching himself, his eyes wide in shock.

"_WHAT WERE YOU GOING TO CALL ME_?" I screamed at them angrily, catching everyone by surprise.

I was about to charge at them, as if I was going to attack them when Draco caught me around the waist with surprising strength. Harry/Goyle and Ron/Crabbe stared at me in surprise before they took off out the door.

"_You better hope I don't see you later you sorry, dimwitted, apes_!" I yelled after them for good measure before letting Draco calm me down.

"What was he going to call you anyway?" Draco asked as I huffed.

"I couldn't tell for sure, he cut himself off. But… grr," I growled as I stomped toward the door.

"Where are you going?" Draco called after me.

"To either get some air or them," I grumbled back.

As I stepped through their hidden door version of a portrait hole, I morphed into a short Slytherin prefect I had seen about, just in case someone spotted me before running off into the bathroom after Harry and Ron.

I morphed back to myself when I found them. They were totally morphed back, and standing outside Hermione's stall, the door open as they stared inside, Moaning Myrtle giggling behind them.

"… It was cat's hair I plucked off Millicent Bulstrode's robes," I could hear Hermione saying as I walked up behind the boys to see a catlike Hermione. "Look at my face," she sighed.

"Look at your tail!" Ron said smiling.

Myrtle continued to cackle behind me as I stepped into the stall, moving past the boys to look her over. "Is there anything you can do, Rebecca?" Hermione asked, nearly pleaded actually.

"I don't think there's anything to do but wait until it wears off," I told her as she sighed again. "But I think we should take you to the Hospital Wing and say that you were trying out a new potion and thought it was for transformations and realized it was only for human transformations. You'll get a slap on the hand, but it'll be better that waiting this out," I said looking from her cat eyes to her cat tail.

"I guess it would be for the best," Hermione sighed.

"But first… can I pet you?" I asked shyly as I slowly reached out my hand, getting a glare from her. "What? You look soft!"


	9. Hagrid

Over a long amount of time, I had been having more episodes of sleep walking, though I think I was also having moments when I blacked out as well. It was actually starting to scare me. I had started getting bags beneath my eyes from the lack of sleep, and from nightmares when I actually did sleep. All of this, for me at least, was strange. No previous times when I had sleepwalked or blacked out, and I almost never had nightmares. I was actually having to use my morphing powers to get rid of the dark circles beneath my eyes.

However, on a positive note, Harry and Ron had found a blank diary in the same bathroom that Moaning Myrtle haunted, having hit her in the head and made her extremely depressed. The diary itself scared me greatly, I don't know why, maybe because Harry was now telling us that he had been sucked inside of it by a sixteen year old boy named Tom Marvolo Riddle who had been sixteen, fifty years ago?

"It was Hagrid," Harry concluded as we walked through one of the courtyards. "Hagrid opened the Chanter of Secrets fifty years ago,"

"It can't be Hagrid. It just can't be," Hermione insisted.

"We don't even know this Tom Riddle," Ron commented. "He sounds like a dirty, rotten snitch to me,"

"The monster had killed somebody, Ron. What would any of us have done?" Harry asked rhetorically

"Look," Hermione sighed, bringing us all to a stop. "Hagrid's our friend. Why don't we just go and ask him about it?"

"That'll be a cheerful visit! 'Hello, Hagrid! Tell us, have you been setting anything mad and hairy loose in the castle lately?'"

"Mad and hairy?" Hagrid's voice made us all jump and spin around to find Hagrid standing behind us. "You wouldn't be talking about me now, would ya?"

"No!" the three of them said far to loudly and quickly as I stared down at my shoes as dread gripped my chest.

"W- what's that you've got, Hagrid?" Harry asked, trying to take Hagrid's attention from the awkward moment we all just had.

"Oh, It's a- Flesh-Eatin' Slug Repellent," Hagrid announced it as he held it up for us all to see. "For the Mandrakes, ya know. Now, accordin' to Professor Sprout, they've still got a bit o' growing up to do. But, once their acne's cleared up, we'll be able to chop 'em up and stew 'em, and then we'll get those people down at the hospital un-petrified. In the meantime, though, you three had best be lookin' after yourselves. All right?"

We all nodded jerkily and Hagrid gave a curt nod before turning back around and walking out of the courtyard as Neville ran past him.

"Harry- I don't know who did it, but you'd better come! Come on!" he all stared at each other before chasing after him.

We all followed Neville all the way up to the boys side of the common room on the second floor where Hermione and I looked in the door at the mayhem inside. All of Harry's stuff was just shredded, thrown about the room, and destroyed. Harry immediately went to his stuff and began looking through it, half cleaning things as he did. My heart skipped a beat and dread and guilt felt like at dropped weight on my shoulders as I look at it all.

"It had to be a Gryffindor. Nobody else knows our password- unless it wasn't a student," Hermione began to reason.

"Whoever it was, they must have been looking for something," Ron said looking around.

"And they found it," Harry groaned as he looked up at us. "Tom Riddle's diary is gone,"


	10. Hermione

A week later, Ron and I were standing with Hagrid in the stands as we waited for he Quidditch game to start. Hermione had told me that morning that she needed to go to the library as I woke up on the couch in the common room again. I didn't mind her not being there, the game wouldn't be that good or long anyway. Gryffindor was playing Hufflepuff.

Enough said.

Suddenly the announcer said that the game had been canceled, which brought a huge groan out from the crowd. As Ron and I were leaving the stands to find Harry, Harry and Professor McGonagall found us first. Professor McGonagall told us we all needed to follow her, that it was urgent.

As we entered the Hospital Wing, I immediately knew what Professor McGonagall was refusing to tell us, and wanted us to see. But seeing it with my own eyes was still a shock. There lay Hermione, froze with a shocked look on her face as she laid on the bed, staring off into space.

"Hermione!" Ron exclaimed, though almost silently as he stared down at her.

"She was found near the Library, along with this," Professor McGonagall explained, holding up a small hand mirror. "Does it mean anything to any of you?"

"No," I whispered as I stared down at my best friend, guilt and fear wrapping around me like a cloak.

"I'm sorry," Professor McGonagall whispered.

After a while, Professor McGonagall escorted us back to our dorm, stepping in with us to find nearly everyone in the common room. Harry, Ron and I all pushed our way through the crowd and to the stairs where we looked back at Professor McGonagall as she began her speech.

"Could I have your attention please? Because of recent events, these new rules will be put into effect immediately; 'All students will return to their house common rooms by six o'clock every evening. All students will be escorted to each lesson by a teacher. No exceptions,' I should tell you this; Unless the culprit behind these attacks is caught, it is likely the school will be closed,"

With that she walked out of the common room, leaving behind an abundant amount of whispers and my heart nearly drowning in guilt that I couldn't place.

Harry pulled Ron and I into a knock near the stairs. "We've got to talk to Hagrid, guys. I can't believe it's him, but if he did set the monster loose last time, he'll know how to get inside the Chamber of Secrets, and that's a start," Harry said quickly.

"But you heard McGonagall! We're not allowed to leave the tower except for class," Ron whispered back.

Harry thought for a moment before smiling. "I think it's time to get my Dad's old cloak out again,"


	11. Spiders and Flying Cars

That night, the three of us snuck out of the castle and out onto the grounds, nearly running at full speed all the way to Hagrid's. We quickly knocked on his door before we heard a cautious; "Who's there? …Hello? …Hello?"

Harry, Ron and I swung off the cloak and stared at his giant cross bow aimed at us wide eyed. "What's that for?" Harry asked.

"Oh, nothing. I- I was expecting, ah… It doesn't matter- come on in- I just made a pot o' tea," Hagrid sighed as he turned back inside his hut, leaving us to follow his inside. We all sat down as he pulled the kettle of tea off the fire and turned to the tea cups on the table. "Anyone for tea?" he asked half mindedly.

"No thank you… I don't like tea," I said shyly as Harry and Ron nodded. As Hagrid began to pour for the others, he began to overflow the cup until it was all over the table.

"Hagrid, are you okay?" Harry asked.

"I'm fine… I'm alright," he said before realizing he was spilling, and yanked back the tea kettle.

"Did you hear about Hermione?" Harry asked.

"Oh, yeah. I heard about that, all righ'," Hagrid sighed sadly.

"Look, we have to ask you something," Harry said right off the bat. "Do you know who's opened the Chamber of Secrets?"

"What you had to understand about that is-" Hagrid began but was cut off by knocking on the door. "Quick under the cloak! Don't say a word. Be quiet, all o' you,"

The three of us moved over toward the fireplace and swung the cloak around us. Hagrid grabbed his cross bow and moved to the door, pushing it open to reveal Professor Dumbledore and the Minister of Magic standing behind him.

"Professor Dumbledore, sir!"

"Good evening, Hagrid. I wonder, could we…?"

"Of course! Come in! Come in,"

"That's Dad's boss! Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic!" Ron whispered as the came in, but I clamped my hand down over his mouth.

"Bad business, Hagrid. Very bad business," the Minister sighed. "Had to come, three attacks on Muggle-borns. Things have gone far enough. The Ministry's got to act,"

"Oh, but I never- you know I never, Professor!" Hagrid exclaimed.

"I want it understood, Cornelius," Dumbledore began. "That Hagrid has my full confidence,"

"Albus look, Hagrid's record is against him. I've got to take him," the Minister said sadly.

"Take me? Take me where? Not Azkaban Prison?" Guilt washed through me, though it's origin, I didn't know. I mean, I wasn't the one sending him there. Maybe I was but sympathetic.

"I'm afraid we have no choice, Hagrid," the Minister sighed.

Suddenly the door swung open, revealing none other than Lucius Malfoy on Hagrid's doorstep. "Already here, Fudge? Good,"

"What're you doin' here? Get outta my house!" Hagrid growled.

"Believe me," Mr. Malfoy said walking into the house and nearly stepping on the three of us. "I take absolutely no pleasure being inside your- you call this a house?" Mr. Malfoy turned to address Dumbledore. "I simply called at the school, and was told the headmaster was here,"

"Well, what exactly is it that you want with me?" he asked.

"The other governors and I have decided it's time for you to step aside. This is an order of suspension," As Mr. Malfoy stepped forward to hand it to Professor Dumbledore, the Minister made to grab it, but Dumbledore brushed him off and took it himself. "You'll find all twelve signatures on it. I'm afraid we feel you've rather lost your touch. Well, what, with all these attacks, there'll be no Muggle-borns left at Hogwarts. I can only imagine what an awful loss that would be to the school," he said, obviously sarcastically as he turned back to the fireplace and us.

"Yeh can' take Professor Dumbledore away. Take him away, an' the Muggle-borns won' stand a chance! You mark my words, there'll be killin's next!" Hagrid exclaimed.

"You think so?" Mr. Malfoy smiled.

"Calm yourself, Hagrid. If the governors desire my removal, I will, of course, step aside," Dumbledore announced, making my heart and stomach dropped into my shoes. "However, you will find that help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it," Dumbledore said, stepping forward and looking straight down at the three of us as if he knew we were there and continued to do so.

"Admirable sentiments. Shall we?" Mr. Malfoy moved to the door, opening it for Dumbledore before turning back around to nod his head to the Minister. "Fudge,"

As the door slammed shut, the Minister sighed loudly and then looked back up at Hagrid. "Come, Hagrid," When Hagrid didn't move the Minister looked up at him again. "Well?"

"Ahem! If, uh, if anybody was looking for some stuff, then all they'd have to do would be to follow the spiders. Yup! That would lead them right! That's all I have to say," Hagrid coughed, obviously saying it to us. "Oh, and someone'll need to feed Fang while I'm away," Hagrid said as the Minister and Hagrid walked out the door, the door shutting softly behind them.

As soon as the door shut, we all swung the cloak off from around us and stared at each other. "Hagrid's right! With Dumbledore gone, there'll be an attack a day!" Ron exclaimed.

"Look!" Harry hissed, pointing to the line of spiders behind me, climbing up the hut wall and out a little crack in the window. "Well, come on. Come on, Fang!"

Ron and I turned to look at each other as Harry walked out the door with Fang at his side, a look of fear in Ron's eyes, and a look of dread in mine. Apparently the two of us didn't like spiders that much.

We quickly followed Harry, I pulling out my wand and using _Lumos_ to light my wand and my way as we walked outside, following behind Harry while he carried the huge lantern. From what I could see, the spiders were all making their way into the dark forest.

"Come on!"

"What?" Ron cried, his voice crackling in fear.

"You heard what Hagrid said; 'Follow the spiders,'," Harry repeated, walking ahead.

"But they're headed to the Dark Forest!" Ron yelled after him.

"Why spiders," I whined beside Ron, watching both Harry's retreating back and the long line of spiders.

"Why couldn't it be 'follow the butterflies'?" Ron whined beside me.

I turned to him and gave him a look that he didn't see. "Can you imagine butterflies in this forest? Can you even imagine them surviving in this forest?" I exclaimed before shaking my head and following Harry, leaving Ron to follow.

It took a long time of following the spiders into the dark forest before we got anywhere. We came to where a bunch of trees were huddled together and their roots created a tunnel which all of the spiders were crawling into. I came to an abrupt stop at the sight of this. All I could imagine was me crawling through that and spiders falling down onto me.

"Harry, I don't like this… Harry, I don't like this at all!" Ron whined, his voice cracking again as we all stared at the tunnel.

"Shush!"

"Can we go back now?" I whispered.

Harry looked over at me before sighing and walking toward the tunnel of spiders. "Come on," Harry said, crouching down to go into the tunnel but I instantly stopped him.

"If we're all doing this, I'm going first," I bit out, knowing the only way I was going to do this was run through the tunnel.

Harry nodded and move out of the way. I crouched down and practically ran through the thing before emerging out the side, hyperventilating and jumping up and down, wiping my arms off as fast as I could. A minute later Harry and Ron emerged as well and we all looked around together.

We were sort of standing into the center of a bowl, which was surrounded by trees and tree roots with large spider webs hanging everywhere. We continued to follow the spiders until they all disappeared down a hole where surrounded by tree roots.

Crunching and the sound of falling trees sounded as we heard a deep booming voice coming form the whole. "**Who is it?**"

"Don't panic," Harry whispered to Ron as he began to wheeze.

"**Hagrid? Is that you?**"

"We're friends of Hagrid's," Harry called to the voice.

Suddenly, big, hairy, huge, icky, giant spider legs emerged from the hole, followed by an equally big, hairy, huge, icky, giant spider. "And you? Y- y-you're Aragog aren't you?"

"**Yes. Hagrid has never sent men into our hollow before**,"

"He's in trouble. Up at the school, there have been attacks. They think it's Hagrid. They think he opened the Chamber of Secrets… like before," Harry explained.

"**That's a lie! Hagrid never opened the Chamber of Secrets!**" Aragog yelled at us making me whimper and take a step back.

"Then you're not the monster,"

"**No! The monster was born in the castle. I came to Hagrid from a distant land, in the pocket of a traveler**,"

"Harry. Rebecca," Ron whined, making me look at him.

"Shush," Harry hissed at him, but I followed where Ron was looking. Spiders, the size of large dogs and small vehicles were pouring in around us without Harry's notice. "But if you're not the monster, then- then what did kill that girl fifty years ago?"

"**We do not speak of it. It is an ancient creature we spiders fear above all others**,"

"But have you seen it?"

"**I never saw any part of the castle but the box in which Hagrid kept me. The girl was discovered in a bathroom. When I was accused, Hagrid brought me here**,"

"Harry!" Ron cried, pulling on Harry's sleeve.

"What?" Harry hissed. Ron pointed upward at the spiders dropping down from the trees, making me back up into Harry, my wand aimed anywhere I saw movement, which was almost everywhere.

"**Well, thank you. We'll just… go**," Harry tried, forcing us all to back up toward the entrance.

"**Go? I think not. My sons and daughters do not harm Hagrid on my command. But I cannot deny them fresh meat when it wanders so willingly into our midst. Good-bye, friend of Hagrid**,"

"Can we panic now?" Ron whined as a spider dropped down in front of me. I squeaked and Harry whacked the thing with the lantern, but unfortunately loosing it to the spider as well.

The next one that got to close to me I yelled, "_Arania Exumai!_" which sent it flying, dead as a doornail. It was a spell my father had taught me since I had started screaming in my bedroom because of a little jumping spider. Unfortunately, however, more spiders were pouring in and the spell wouldn't be good enough for all of them.

"Know anymore spells?" Ron whined to Harry and I.

"One, but it's not powerful enough for all of them," Harry said, sounding panicked.

"Where's Hermione when you need her?" Ron cried.

"Hey!" I exclaimed angrily at Ron.

Spiders were nearly five feet away from us when I lifted my wand and pointed it upward and began to twirl it above my head. "_Incandensus!_" I yelled. Out from my wand came a fountain of fire which fell around us like a dome. It whooshed around us and became bigger until we had a ten feet radius around us.

"I can't hold this forever and it isn't going to get us out of here," I yelled to them.

Suddenly, I heard the roaring of an engine as I dropped the spell and found the spiders retreating even more from the headlights of a car speeding toward us which stopped in front of us before the doors flew open.

"Let's go!" Harry yelled pushing me in front of him and I yanked the seat forward and got in. "_Arania Exumai!_" Harry yelled before jumped in and slamming the door. Spiders dropped on top of the car making it rock. "Go!"

I crouched down into the seat so that Ron could look past me to back up, and was glad I did as the whole car flew up into the air and the boys shouted, before the car dropped back onto the ground. I sat up and looked around as Fang placed his head on my lap.

"Glad we're out of there," Ron sighed happily before a spider appeared, biting Ron's neck through the window. We all screamed and I made to grab for my wand but couldn't reach it since it was on the floor and I couldn't lean over Fang.

"_Arania Exumai!_" Harry yelled, and a bright white-ish blue light sprang from his wand and hit the spider, knocking it off of Ron.

"Thanks for that,"

"Don't mention it," the two boys said to each other sounding equally as winded as I sounded. We all took a breath and looked through the cracked windshield, seeing the long line of spiders staring back at us before the began to charge at the car. "Get us out of here. Now!" The car roared to life and spun until we were moving forward, trying to get away from the spiders. "Come on! Come on! Move faster! Go on! Go! Get us in the air,"

"The flying gear's jammed!"

"Come on! Pull!"

"I'm trying!"

I stared wide eyed as spiders appeared in front of us, trying to head us off. The car slammed into them as the two boy tried to pull the flying gear until finally the car was lifted off the ground and we started flying toward the sky. We finally crashed down near Hagrid's hut where Harry and Ron jumped out as I threw myself out of the backseat, Fang following close behind.

"Follow the spiders! Follow the spiders!" Ron yelled angrily as he came around the car to our side.

"If Hagrid ever gets out of Azkaban, I'll kill him!" I shouted as I stood up and watched the car take off back into the forest on it's own.

"I mean, what was the point of sending us in there? What have we found out?" Ron asked.

"We know one thing. Hagrid never opened the Chamber of Secrets. He was innocent," Harry said, sounding guilty and happy at the same time.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: DUH HE WAS INNOCENT! <strong>

**Please Reveiw. Reveiws are appreciated.**


	12. Tom Marvolo Riddle

We visited Hermione often, bringing her flowers, talking to her, hoping she out hear us. I actually contemplated painting her nails once but decided against it. I went to visit her before classes one morning and sat with her, picking at the dead flowers Ron had 'secretly' left for her. The next thing I knew, I was standing and staring at a boy, about… sixteen maybe? He looked like a boy from one of those old silent films, but his eyes looked angrily as he stared down at me. His house was answer enough for that. I looked around and found I was in a big hall, behind the boy was a carving of a face, and behind me was a long hall, with water on either side of the walkway and large sculptures of snakes on either side of the hall.

I turned back to the boy to see him smiling at me. "Why Rebecca, don't you remember being here before? Oh, but of course you don't, I didn't let you remember,"

I was horrified and confused. "What do you mean you didn't let me remember?" I asked, trying to take a step back but realizing I couldn't.

"Oh Rebecca, you're a smart girl, you know the spell that makes memories…" Tom put out his hand, palm up and blew, as if the memories were snowflakes on his hand. "Disappear,"

"Why?" I asked.

"Because the diary, where long ago I preserved my sixteen-old-self within it's pages was in your possession and I needed to act through someone. Because getting rid of memories would be the only way to make sure your little friends didn't find out," Then Tom smiled brightly and said; "Because your loving father gave you up as a sacrifice for me,"

My breath caught as I stared at him. "My father gave me up to you to use… but he wouldn't," I gasped, though I knew in my heart it was true.

"Oh yes he would, little Rebecca," Tom smiled walking around me. "You did everything I said to, though you weren't in your right mind of course. And you fought against me the whole time. It was cute," Tom laughed. "When you threw away the diary, I was furious… but then none other than the great Harry Potter found it… and it was all worth it,"

I shook my head and felt anger rise up in my heart while tears rose up in my eyes. "I couldn't have,"

"Look down at your hands then, Rebecca," Tom smiled as he came back to stand in front of me.

I shyly looked down at my hands as they raised from my sides. One arm had blood dripping from it, and I was suddenly aware of the stinging burn of a deep cut in my arm. My other hand had my blood all over it, looking like I had been finger painting. I shut my eyes and felt my body grow cold as I looked up at Tom.

"Thank you, Rebecca Sherwood, though I believe that your services will soon, no longer be required,"

* * *

><p>I shot up from where I had been lying on the ground, grabbing my wand out from it's sheath as I looked around the room. It was eerily quiet, and off to the side I could see a long and fat snakes body laying before the statue of Salazar Slytherin. I could suddenly remember everything, and felt ashamed for it all.<p>

"Rebecca," I turned around at the sound of Harry's voice behind me. He was kneeling on the ground, hunched over, wincing a little. Behind him was the head of the dead basilisk.

"Harry. It was me- but I think Tom used the Imperius Curse on me and then he used a Forgetfulness Spell on me. My father gave me up to Tom, as the sacrifice. Harry, I'm so sorry. I would have told you," I stammered out shacking my head. Then my eyes caught the sight of blood from a wound on Harry's arm. "You're hurt," Harry immediately moved his arm toward it but I pulled his hand back and looked at it. "There's got to be a spell. I can fix this. I just need to think," I stuttered.

"Don't worry. Rebecca, you need to get yourself out. Follow the Chamber, and you'll find Ron," Harry tried to explain as he started to shake.

"I'm not leaving you," I insisted.

Suddenly, there was the sound of a bird call as a phoenix flew I and landed next to Harry, watching him with intelligent eyes.

"You were brilliant, Fawkes. I just wasn't quick enough,"

Then it hit me, he had been bitten by the basilisk. A tear fell down my face as I slumped down and watched Harry.

The phoenix cocked it's head to the side as tears formed in it's eyed before them fell onto Harry's arm, actually healing the wound until it was non existent.

"Of course! Phoenix tears have healing powers. Thanks!" Harry exclaimed to the bird happily. "It's alright, Rebecca," Harry smiled over at me. "It's over. It's just a memory,"

"A memory that's going to get me expelled from Hogwarts, and a lifetime supply of hate from my father," I sighed as I clumsily helped Harry to his feet. "Yes, just a fantastic bloody memory,"

Harry just smiled sadly at me before taking my hand in his. "I don't think you'll have to worry about it too much,"

Harry then started to lead me out of the Chamber of Secrets, hand in hand most of the way. The door with the snake lock closed behind us with a hiss that sent me jumping even though I knew it would happen.

As I thought about it more and more, I started to feel more tears falling down my face and sighed deeply. Mum would freak out and then blame my father for the whole mess, and would never let me out of her sight. My father on the other hand would hate me for not dieing and would be disappointed in me.

We went up through the tunnels, I having to lead Harry halfway through and soon I could hear the sound of rocks being moved.

"Ron!" Harry yelled, making me jump. "Rebecca's okay! I've got her!"

"You're alive! I don't believe it! What happened?" I heard Ron say before I could see Ron's face peeking through a gap in a rock mountain that was blocking our way out. "How- where did that bird come from?"

"He's Dumbledore's," Harry said nonchalantly.

"Oh… Come on through Rebecca," Ron stuck his arm through the gap in the rock to pull me though first. I grabbed his arm and squeezed my way through until I was on the other side, looking back to see the Fawkes hop through before Harry squeezed though after him.

"How come you've got a sword?" Ron asked, gaping at the Sword of Gryffindor I just noticed Harry carrying on his belt loop.

"I'll explain when we get out of here," Harry said. "Where's Lockheart?"

"You brought that slimy toad down here?" I asked.

"Back there," Ron said, jerking his head up the tunnel to a pipe, ignoring me. I peered through the half dark at Lockheart who was sitting at the mouth of the pipe rocking and humming to himself as he peered at a rock.

"What did you two do to him?" I asked walking up in front of Lockheart as he looked up at me.

"His memory's gone," Ron explained. "The Memory Charm he tried on Harry and I backfired. Hasn't got a clue who his is, or where he is, or who we are. I told him to come and wait here. He's a danger to himself,"

Lockheart looked up at us all and smiled dumbly like a little kid smiling at the pretty butterfly. "Hello," he said. "Odd sort of place, this, isn't it? Do you live here?" he asked.

"For the last time; No," Ron exclaimed making Lockheart look taken aback before he look back down at his rock.

"Don't have to be so mean," he muttered to himself, making me giggle against my will. Harry, who had been holding my hand the whole time, let go to look up the dark pipe.

"Have you thought how we're going to get back up this?" Harry asked Ron. Ron shook his head. Dumbledore's phoenix flew right in front of Harry and fluttered in back and forth in front of him. It waved its tail feathers.

"He looks like he wants you to grab hold…" Ron said. "But you're much too heavy for a bird to pull up there-"

"Fawkes isn't an ordinary bird!" Harry exclaimed before turning back to us. "We've got to hold on to each other,"

With that, Fawkes grabbed onto Lockheart's shoulders, Ron grabbed his foot, Harry grabbed Ron's foot, and I wrapped my arms around Harry's waist. We were suddenly hoisted back up the tube and into the girls bathroom, where Moaning Myrtle was waiting for us.

"You're alive," Myrtle said to Harry.

"There's no need to sound so disappointed," Harry said back rolling his eyes at the ghost.

"Oh, well… I just wanted someone handsome to share my toilet with, you know," Myrtle said, blushing silver.

"Urgh!" Ron said when we left the bathroom.

"Harry, I think Ginny's got a little competition," I smiled elbowing him lightly as I pulled Lockheart along.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Is it just me or do you just love Myrtle. Says what she means and means what she says. I also like that she's just a typical horny girl that is <em>really<em> over emotional and _really_ melodramatic.**


	13. Loose Ends

I walked down the halls quickly, having been deemed healthy enough not to have to stay in the Hospital Wing. I had had my cut bandaged, changed into a new uniform and was now walking down to Professor Dumbledore's office. I hoped that I wouldn't get expelled, and I was certain that Professor Dumbledore would want to hear of what exactly I had done and seen.

I was about to reach the statue when I saw Mr. Malfoy step out of the statue and continue the hall, a moment later, followed by Harry. "Mr. Malfoy! Mr. Malfoy! I have something of yours,"

I peeked around the corner to see Mr. Malfoy turn to receive the diary from Harry. "Mine? I don't know what you're talking about,"

"Oh, I think you do, sir," Harry bit out. "I think you gave the diary to Mr. Sherwood that day at Diagon Alley, who then slipped the diary into Rebecca Sherwood's trunk,"

"You do, do you?" Mr. Malfoy threw the diary down at… Dobby! "Why don't you prove it?" Mr. Malfoy bit out, getting in Harry's face before spinning and continuing down the hall. "Come, Dobby,"

Dobby looked up at Harry before opening the diary and smiling down at it. Why was he smiling?

"Dobby!"

"Master has given Dobby a sock!" Dobby exclaimed.

Dobby dropped the diary and holing up a charcoal colored sock for Mr. Malfoy to see as he spun back around to look at Dobby. "What? I didn't give-"

"Master has presented Dobby with clothes! Dobby is free!" I smiled widely, extremely thankful to Harry for freeing Dobby from his long years of torment.

"You've lost me my servant!" Mr. Malfoy suddenly yelled.

Mr. Malfoy quickly and angrily whipped his wand out from the end of his cane and charging at Harry as Dobby stepped in between them. "You shall not harm Harry Potter!"

"_Advada_-" My eyes widened as I realized that Mr. Malfoy had attempted the Killing Curse, before Dobby sent Mr. Malfoy flying backwards and onto his butt. Mr. Malfoy growled as he stood before pointing at Harry and saying; "Your parents were meddlesome fools, too. You mark my words, Potter, one day soon you are going to meet the same sticky end!" With that, Mr. Malfoy turned and walked away.

"Harry Potter freed Dobby! How can Dobby ever repay him?" Dobby exclaimed turning to Harry, clutching the sock in his skinny little fingers.

"Just promise me something," Harry began as I moved out from my hiding face and jogged at him.

"Anything, sir!"

"Never try to save my life again,"

I sprang on Harry, nearly knocking him over as I hugged him from behind, probably half choking him. "You better thank Dobby for that last one though, that sounded like the Killing Curse," I mumbled and I held onto Harry even as he tried to push me off.

"Rebecca Sherwood! Dobby is most happy to see you!" Dobby smiled up at me as I finally let go of Harry to smile down at him.

"I as well, Dobby," I smiled giving him a small hug. "It's been a long time hasn't it?" I smiled pulling back.

"You know Dobby?" Harry asked, as I looked back up at him to see his surprise face.

"Of course, he used to work for the Malfoy's and I used to go over to see them all the time," I explained. "If you had told me the house-elf's name I would've been of more help," I turned back to Dobby and smiled at him. "Will you except clothes from me _now_?"

* * *

><p>"Welcome back, Sir Nicholas!" I called as he floated past.<p>

"Thank you," he smiled, bowing his head to me.

We were all sitting in the Great Hall for the end of the year feast, everyone around me eating happily and talking. I however stayed quiet, still feeling ashamed of my part played in the Chamber of Secrets mystery. I wasn't being expelled, no one was insulting me, no one was even talking about it, though I assumed that no one knew that it had been me besides Harry, Ron and Professor Dumbledore. But I still kept my head down, much like the beginning of last year.

"Harry- it's Hermione!" Neville suddenly exclaimed.

The three of us looked up to see Hermione smiling at us all from the entrance to the hall before she started running to us. The three of us stood and waited for her until she suddenly slammed into me, nearly knocking me over in a hug. She moved next to Harry, but stopped at Ron. The two stared at each other awkwardly before shaking hands, making Harry and I roll our eyes at them.

"Uhh-um… Welcome back, Hermione,"

"It's good to be back!" Hermione smiled before she smiled bigger and exclaimed; "Congratulations! I can't believe you solved it!"

"Well, we had loads of help from you. We couldn't have done it without you," Harry smiled at her.

Hermione looked confused, but nonetheless, said; "Thanks,"

"Could I have your attention, please?" Harry, Ron, Hermione and I all sat down quickly as the room quieted and Professor Dumbledore stood.

"Before we begin the feast, let us have a round of applause for Professor Sprout and Madame Pomfrey, whose Mandrake juice has been so successfully administered to all who had been petrified," Everyone cheered happily. "Also, in light of the recent events, as a school treat, all exams have been canceled,"

"Oh, no!" Hermione sighed as everyone else, me included, stood up and cheered loudly.

Suddenly the doors flew open and Hagrid appeared. "Sorry I'm late! The owl that delivered my release papers got all lost and confused. Some ruddy bird called Errol," The three of us turned to Ron who looked extremely guilty at that moment. Hagrid walked up the length of the table before turning to smile down at he four of us. "And I'd just like to say that a- if it hadn't been for you, Harry, and Ron, and Rebecca, and Hermione, o' course, I would- uh- I'd still be you-know-where, so I- I'd just like to say 'Thanks,',"

Guilt spread over me again but I shook it off anyway and smiled up at him as Harry stood.

"Well, there's no Hogwarts without you, Hagrid," With that, Harry hugged Hagrid before stepping back as clapping started form the head table, everyone joining in eagerly.

"Yeah!"

Hagrid was back. Hermione was back. Dumbledore was back. The school was safe again.

I smiled.

All was well… for now.

**THE END**

_For now…_

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Next to come; <em>Rebecca Sherwood and the Prisoner of Azkaban!<em>**

**"Tenna' ento lye omenta!" 'Until we meet again!'**


End file.
